


I Like You, Theoretically

by LadyElaine



Category: Weak Hero (Webtoon)
Genre: Fluff, I wouldn't have written this if I weren't social distancing tbh, M/M, Pre-coma Stephen, Webtoon, angst what's that never heard of it, ben and alex make a cameo, i love these boys so much, imagine looking for this fandom's fics and finding nothing, nerds, no smut this is a wholesome minecraft server, webcomic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:21:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24024259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyElaine/pseuds/LadyElaine
Summary: Gray Yeon's never been to the boardwalk, so Stephen Ahn makes it his new mission. Slight chaos and much fluff ensue.
Relationships: Gray Yeon/Stephen Ahn
Comments: 15
Kudos: 174





	I Like You, Theoretically

**Author's Note:**

> Fine, I'll do it myself

Stephen glanced over at Gray. The smaller boy was focused and intent on defeating the ultimate boss in the video game they were playing. His face was blank, but Stephen could see the gears turning in his brain either way. Gray never stopped thinking, not for one second.

“Hey,” Stephen said, nudging him gently.

Gray’s frozen features finally shifted and he blinked up at him. “What?” 

“Have you ever been to the boardwalk?”

With a final slide of the joystick to take out the last of the final boss’s XP, Gray concluded the game and placed the controller on top of the system. “Boardwalk? No, I’ve never been. I never saw any point.”

Stephen cocked his head to the side. “No point? Or no friends to go with?” 

Gray remained silent. That was plenty of indication to Stephen. 

“Then it’s been decided,” he declared. He stood up and extended a hand for Gray to take. “We’re going to the boardwalk tomorrow.”

“You’re too spontaneous,” Gray muttered, taking Stephen’s hand anyway and letting the other help him up. “We have a test this Monday.”

“We already know you’re going to pass it,” Stephen snorted, shaking his head. “I just think you need a break from those books.”

Gray shrugged stiffly. “I’m fine Stephen. I’m used to it.”

Stephen sighed softly. “Exactly. You’re so used to it you’ve gotten used to not having fun.”

“Studying is fun.”

“Said no one ever except for one (1) Gray Yeon who will be going to the boardwalk with one (1) Stephen Ahn at 1PM. Kapeesh?” 

He opened his mouth to respond but Stephen cut him off. “Perfect. I promise you won’t regret this.” Then he saw himself out the door. 

Gray stood in the living room listlessly before smiling and shaking his head. He found it hard to say no to Stephen’s whims, so he guessed it was a date. He wondered what he should wear. 

* * *

“Gray! Over here!”

Gray Yeon had arrived at the boardwalk’s entrance at exactly 1PM. It was a nice day, though a bit too warm for his taste. The salt from the ocean air mixed with the smell of deep-fried boardwalk food and mingled with the sound of screams from inside the park. There weren’t a ton of people, but enough to give the park life. 

Stephen waved at him from the ticket vendor.

“Looking festive,” Stephen chuckled, walking closer and taking in Gray’s outfit. Gray had opted to wear shorts and a simple white shirt he had dug out from the back of his closet. He had also worn a pair of beat-up sneakers because he had no interest in getting sand in between his toes. But Stephen barely noticed. He only had eyes for the reflection of the sea barely hidden by Gray Yeon’s orbital fringes. He often found it hard to believe that Gray was unaware of how attractive he really was. Maybe he had hardened himself against those types of thoughts, wary of being called a girl.

Stephen, on the other hand, wore a bright red button-up shirt decorated with white palm trees and flamingos. He was also wearing shorts (harnessed by the unsightly safety pin, as usual), but the sand didn’t seem to bother him as he had chosen to wear a rather unfashionable pair of open-toe sandals.

“And you look...nice.” Better not to tell Stephen he resembled an American tourist who had planned a trip to Hawaii and accidentally arrived in Korea instead.

“Nice enough to be a Milan runway model?” Stephen asked, striking a flamboyant pose.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Gray shot back and instead of being upset, Stephen simply threw his head back with a lively laugh bubbling out his of throat. Gray huffed, but honestly, he thought Stephen was glowing. Stephen always glowed, but in the bright white light of the afternoon sunset with the festive sounds behind them, he looked different. Felt different. He wasn’t sure how to process it.

“Welcome to my fashion show, Gray.”

...still a dork.

“Have you tried a funnel cake before?” Stephen asked as they scanned their tickets and went through the entrance. They walked side by side, bypassing young couples and vendors asking them to pay to play for inevitable scams. Gray drew a bit closer to Stephen, who seemed more assured in where they were going.

“Funnel...cake?” Gray squinted critically. “How’s that possible? What does it look like? Is it shaped like a bugle?”

Stephen was absolutely aghast. “Truly, you’ve had no childhood. There’s so much food here we have to try. How much money did you bring?”

“Fifty dollars.”

“Fifty?! Stephen exclaimed. “Who did you rob?”

“I got an online job as a data miner a little while back. Quit because it was boring. The money I made was kind of just sitting there,” Gray explained. “How much did you bring?”

“Five hundred and sixty dollars and 62 cents. Today is my treat.”

Gray’s eyebrows shot up. “Where’d you hide the body, Stephen?”

Stephen made a fake-offended noise. “I’d never resort to killing in cold blood, Gray Yeon. I’m more into slow poisoning.”

“For your sake and mine, I hope you’re being hypothetical,” Gray said, lightly brushing arms with the other.

“Guess we’ll never know,” Stephen hummed, smiling to himself. He pointed at a tent where a sickly sugary smell was wafting from. “There’s our first stop.”

To Grey’s dismay, funnel cakes were another American fast food that had managed to find its way to Korea. Judging by the money Stephen brought out, the price had too.

Nonetheless, as he bit into a corner of the snack, his eyes lit up. It was unfair how good it tasted, for being a fried strip of cheap dough with powdered sugar.

Stephen chuckled as Gray devoured his and returned to the vendor to buy another with his own money. _Cute._

He sat at the small table in front of the vendor and Gray joined him, sitting across from him with another paper plate. “I guess you’ve been here before?”

“Why do you say that?”

“It just seemed like you knew your way around the place,” Gray said. “You found this vendor very easily.”

Stephen gave him a look Gray couldn’t quite place. “Well, I’ve been here more than once. This is my first time coming with someone though.”

Gray paused at that. “Really? You used to come here by yourself?”

“Yep.”

“At least you were brave enough to do that.”

Stephen peered at his friend curiously, surprised he hadn’t made fun of him before shrugging it off. “Let’s go on that ride over there.” He pointed at a large circular ride currently flinging people left and right. If Gray’s memory served him well, that was a Disco Pang Pang. A ride to be avoided at all costs.

He turned back and gave Stephen a critical glare. “I said brave, not stupid.”

“Aw, is Gray Yeon chicken?”

Gray blushed. He could put up with being called a nerd, a girl, a bean pole. But if there was one thing Gray Yeon was not, it was chicken. Stephen watched with amusement as Gray angrily finished off the rest of his funnel cake and stomped off towards the ride, hands shaking with barely hidden fear all the while. 

Stephen followed him from behind, a knowing grin on his face. 

Ah yes, it was all going to plan.

* * *

No, it was not going to plan. Not at all.

Gray Yeon was holding onto him for dear life while the two others, a strongly-built boy with reddish-brown hair, and a much smaller boy with a short black undercut, were screaming as they slipped from one side of the ride to the other.

“Alex, just try to grab my hand!” the big one called out, extending his arm towards the boy named Alex. Alex tried and failed, over and over and with every toss of the ride, his face grew a little greener. 

“I’m killing you once we get off this ride Ben,” he slurred, bringing a hand up to his mouth.

To preface, as soon as they had gotten seated in the ride, the operator gleefully jerked the ride forward and at lightning speed, Gray had wrapped his arms around Stephen’s torso, calculating he was less likely to fall if he held on to Stephen, who was stronger than him and would have a better grip on the outer bars. Also, it didn’t hurt that Stephen was soft and smelled perpetually of cherry softener. 

Plus he was ninety percent sure he was going to die on that ride so he unabashedly hid his face against Stephen’s hideous red shirt. Stephen had only laughed and patted the shorter boy on the head, completely unbothered by the jarring they were going through. Gray Yeon happened to perfectly fit into the crook of his arm. 

The other two were not faring nearly as well. Alex was on the verge of revisiting the hotdog he bought a few minutes earlier and Ben was trying his best to stay calm for Alex, though he wasn’t fooling anyone. These two had also come to the boardwalk together, but with every intention of finally conquering the damn Disco Pang Pang. There was no use being the most revered people in their school if someone could use their fear of the ride as potential blackmail.

The ride finally ended, and Alex thanked all the stars he could name that he hadn’t upchucked in front of those two strangers. If word got around he was a lightweight, he’d have to fight twice as many wannabes at school.

“Are you okay?” the tall lanky one in an obscenely bright red shirt asked him. He'd been unmoved during the entire ride. Alex had to admit he felt slightly threatened by his lack of fear. But the grin coming from him didn’t seem hostile, so he simply nodded like the tough guy Ben said he was. 

“Don’t worry about me, I’m fine...” he trailed off as the tall boy’s friend appeared from behind him, still gripping his friend's arm to maintain balance. 

Damn. Alex had never seen a boy that pretty before. Add a few hair extensions and it would be nearly impossible to tell him apart from a girl. His interest was certainly piqued. What school did those two even go to? They definitely didn’t belong to the Union. Actually, they could be around him and Ben’s age.

“Are they bothering you, Gogo?” Ben asked from behind him, protectively placing a hand on his shoulder. Alex rolled his eyes. Ben tended to overdo it when he saw him talking to other people. He had told him over and over he could protect himself.

“Yeah, don’t sweat it,” he said, brushing Ben’s hand off. 

The lanky one extended a hand in salutations. “Hi. I’m Stephen Ahn. Nice to meet you.”

Before Ben could take his hand and fling the unsuspecting boy like a mace, Alex quickly responded first. “Yeah. I’m Alex. The dude behind me is Ben.” He glanced at the pretty boy who was currently checking his phone with clear disinterest for the conversation. “And he is...?”

“Ah, Gray?” Stephen said, beckoning for the other boy to say hello.

He shot Stephen an annoyed look before giving Alex and Ben a brief once-over with strikingly purple eyes. “Do you two go to a school in uptown Yeongdeungpo?”

“Yep,” Ben replied cheerfully, seeming to have warmed up to the non-threatening duo. “How’d you know?”

“J District only has schools west of this boardwalk, meaning you couldn’t come from this part of town because that would mean you attended a school in our district and I don’t recognize you two. Also, your school name is on your jacket,” Gray explained in a cold tone he reserved for people who weren’t named Stephen Ahn.

“Wow,” Ben said in amazement, stars practically bursting from his eyes. 

“Stephen, let’s go to that ride over there,” Gray suddenly said, pulling the shirt sleeve of his friend and dragging him towards the considerably tamer merry-go-round. Stephen mouthed “sorry” to Alex and Ben before following Gray and rustling his hair, eliciting a “don’t touch my hair” from him.

Shame. Alex had wanted to flirt with Gray for at least a few minutes and since it was unlikely they’d ever cross paths again, it was a missed opportunity. Then again, Gray seemed like a calculative sociopath and he wasn’t into that.

 _Still_ , he thought as he and Ben walked in the other direction towards the games, Ben promising he’d win Alex the biggest stuffed animal they could find. _Maybe that guy isn’t what he seems to be._

* * *

Stephen pulled four tickets out of his pockets and handed them to the ride operator. He leaped onto the deck of the merry-go-around and was about to mount one of the plastic horses before he noticed Gray had chosen to sit down on a seat instead, wordlessly leaving a space for Stephen to sit next to him.

He was about to move towards Gray when he heard a piercing shriek a few meters away from the ride. A dad was struggling to hold on to his daughter while he made a call. The girl, dressed in bright yellow clothing and with tears streaming down her face, was making grabbing motions at a man selling heart-shaped balloons. 

“I’m sorry sir, my daughter--Sarah, behave yourself!” the man yelled, appearing embarrassed to make a scene. Several people had stopped to observe them, though none made any effort to assist the dad or to appease the toddler.

Stephen wasted no time in making his way to them. He waved at the man, who was relieved someone was trying to help, before waving his fingers at the crying girl. “Hi. I’m Stephen. And you are?”

The girl paused to stare at him before bursting into a new bout of tears and trying to struggle from the grip her father had on her. Stephen sported a hilariously alarmed expression for a second before chuckling. “Okay, I see what you want.”

He jogged over to the seller and bought one of the baby blue balloons, racing back to deliver it to the toddler. Her face lit up and she gave Stephen a radiant toothy grin as he handed her the balloon. After a second thought, he tied it around her small wrist in case she let go and the balloon were to take off into its next life. She giggled at the helium heart bouncing up and down above her, more or less forgetting Stephen existed. Gray didn’t think Stephen minded, based on the ectasticty written across his face.

“Thank you so much,” the father said, giving Stephen an appreciative nod before returning to his call. Stephen nodded back in response before walking back to the merry-go-round.

“That was kind of you,” Gray said plainly, shifting slightly as Stephen sat next to him with a self-satisfied expression. Typical Stephen. Doing nice things because why not. It was one of the things Gray admired about him.

“I like kids,” Stephen said, a lopsided smile on his face. “They always have clear intentions.”

“And our classmates don’t?”

“You can draw your own conclusions, Gray Yeon.”

The ride started up and they began traveling along with the rest of the riders. “Then what about me?”

“What about you?”

“You just assume I’m always transparent with you?”

“Of course. I trust you more than anyone,” Stephen replied, giving him a _duh_ face.

Gray was silent. _Then does that mean I can..._

Stephen wished he could see what he was happening in his brain. While he was usually able to sense what Gray was feeling, it was almost impossible to decipher what he was thinking. His blank stare paired with a deceptively unassuming facade caught most off guard, including Stephen himself.

But nothing caught him off guard more than when Gray took his hand and intertwined their fingers. “What are you--”

“J-just work with me,” Gray stuttered, heat rising to his face rapidly and avoiding Stephen’s inquisitive gaze.

“...alright.” Stephen looked the other way as well, an unexpected warmth blooming in his chest.

The ride continued, rotating in the same place, rehashing the meetup they had with the two strangers at the Disco Pang Pang, and giving them a reminder of all the other vendors and rides they had yet to visit. Tinny children’s rhymes rang through their ears.

Gray was mentally berating himself. What had gotten into him? Maybe eating all those cheap funnel cakes had finally taken its toll. 

Stephen. 

_Ohhhh_ what was Stephen going to think? Maybe he could pass it off as an experiment of some sort. But he couldn’t do that! He had just done it spur of the moment! 

If he was going to be completely honest with himself, it felt nice. Stephen’s hand almost eclipsed his and his fingers were wrapped gently around Gray’s in a comfortable embrace. His hand was warm and somehow reassuring. Gray’s eyes flitted to Stephen's face to find he was watching the activity across the boardwalk, completely unassuming.

As per usual.

Gray had worried for nothing.

Stephen bought him a heart-shaped balloon right after the ride.

“Unoriginal,” was what Gray murmured. _Thank you,_ is what his face expressed.

* * *

The day was winding down. Most of the boardwalk had emptied out and vendors were beginning to clear out their stocks. Gray and Stephen had the remnants of the cotton candy a seller had given them for free in exchange for help moving his equipment. Gray wasn’t much help as he had the physical propensity of a stick figure, but Stephen insisted it was the effort that mattered.

Now the two were sitting at the edge of the actual boardwalk, not saying much but enjoying the company.

Gray was glad Stephen had planned this impromptu trip. It hadn’t gone exactly to plan but he had had more fun than he had in a while. It could’ve been any other Saturday where he stayed home and reread his book on hypothetical physics, but instead, he got to spend the day with his best friend. He realized, not for the first time, that whenever he was around Stephen, he was happy.

Stephen was glad he had Gray had actually shown up. Gray was often a conundrum in that he was so smart, but knew so little about the world he actually lived in. Seeing Gray experience something as simple as funnel cake for the first time made his heart grow just a little bigger. Being around Gray made him happy. 

The two of them simultaneously turned to look at each other.

“Good day, huh?” Stephen asked, playfully tilting his head to the side and giving his friend a small smile. Gray returned it with one of his own.

“Yeah. This was an okay idea after all.” A thought came to his mind as the sun started to set over the ocean ahead of them. “Stephen...last week, when you said you felt I was the one who could understand all of you...what did you mean exactly?”

Stephen frowned and his eyes drifted away, staring into the ripples of the water. “You remember that?”

“I don’t forget much.”

“Right,” he replied quietly before inhaling lightly. “Gray, what would you do if you were the only person in the world who could see?”

Gray’s mouth twisted in confusion. “...see? See what?”

Stephen suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder and brought their faces closer together, a serious stare gracing his features. “Gray, look into my eyes and tell me you can see me.”

Gray was suddenly short of breath. “See you?”

“Yes,” Stephen said, in pleading tones. Gray didn’t understand why Stephen was desperate, but he swallowed and nodded sharply.

“I see you, Stephen Ahn.”

“What do you see?”

Now Gray wasn’t sure what to say. What did Stephen want to hear? Why was he even asking him this question?

“Just answer from a place of honesty,” Stephen said calmly.

So Gray did. “You’re being weird, as usual. But you know what?” He leaned closer. “I think I like it. You’re...to be honest, you’re a kind of incredible Stephen. You hear all the rumors and BS they make up and you continue to ignore them and donate the money you earned without question. You helped that dad when everyone insisted on remaining onlookers. You saw me choking on my own existence and you approached me with no reservation. When I see you, you see me too.”

He paused and took his time to drink in Stephen at that moment. Orange rays of dying sunlight filled in the highlights of his amber-brown eyes and warmed his tan skin. “You filled the hole in my heart, Stephen Ahn.” 

Stephen’s eyes flooded with happiness. Gray wasn’t lying. He could tell from the way his pacific violet eyes never left him for a second and how Gray’s small hand had rested on the arm holding him up.

He sighed shortly and finally removed his hand from Gray’s shoulder. He turned back to face the sunset and Gray was quietly shocked to hear the taller boy sniffing and moving to quickly wipe away tears. He expeditiously pulled out a napkin from his pocket and handed it to him, their hands lingering for a second longer than entirely necessary. Their eyes met once again and there was a shared look of understanding that passed through them. Gray’s eyes crinkled in amusement.

“Don’t cry,” Gray said, leaning his head against the taller’s shoulder. “I may be biased because I like you to some extent but...I hate it when you cry. So smile, you idiot.”

* * *

Stephen was walking Gray home.

“Why?” Gray had asked flatly when Stephen suggested it.

“In the name of chivalry,” he responded, a smug grin on his face. “It’s dark outside and you’ll need a big strong man to walk you home in case any thugs try to beat you up.”

Gray knew perfectly well Stephen Ahn wouldn’t hurt a fly.

“I’ll just take a taxi.”

Stephen wilted. “What, you don’t trust me to protect you?”

“No.”

“Then, how about I walk you home because it’s nice outside and I like your company?” he offered, elbowing him impishly. Gray pretended to think over it.

“Alright then. But if we meet any thugs, you run. I can handle them. I read a book on krav maga and I’m more likely to survive than you are.”

“...you’re something else, Gray Yeon.”

“You wanna fight?”

“Nah, I think I’m good.”

So Gray hooked his arm around Stephen and let him walk him home. He had to admit Stephen was right. It was cooler outside and there was a refreshing breeze blowing. Life continued from inside buildings they passed, but it was blessedly quiet outside. Stephen was talking to fill in the silence but it wasn’t awkward. Gray felt more relaxed than he had in days.

They reached his house sooner than he would’ve maybe liked. The two walked up the doorsteps and Stephen was about to ring the doorbell when Gray pulled him back.

“Wait.”

“What is--augh!” Gray swiftly punched him in the stomach.

As Stephen keeled over in pain, Gray dragged him forward by the collar, bringing his face level and softly bopping foreheads with the other. Stephen’s eyes widened, and Gray brought an index finger to his lips before any words could come out.

They stayed in that position for a long time, heads touching, hearing each other’s heartbeats thump faster with every passing second. Stephen could scarcely breathe with Gray’s steady exhale brushing his face every interval.

He slowly brought up his hands to hold Gray’s cheeks, absorbing the warmth and feel of his skin, trying to memorize Gray’s scent and touch. For a moment, it was just him and Gray, two people who had found each other when they needed each other most.

Gray finally released him, and Stephen dropped his hands from Gray’s face. They were both breathing heavily, as though they had run a marathon, eyes locked on the boy in front of them. 

“You sure have unorthodox ways of showing someone how you feel,” Stephen said, an adorable smile fixed on his features.

“Shut up,” Gray mumbled, nervously running his fingers through his bangs but smiling as well. He hoped if his feelings weren’t clear before, they were obvious now. “But yeah, thanks for taking me to the boardwalk.”

“Let’s do it again soon,” Stephen agreed, pressing the doorbell and moving out of the way so Gray could enter through the door. “Goodnight Gray Yeon.”

“See you later, Stephen Ahn,” Gray replied, giving him one last meaningful look before closing the door behind him. Which thereafter, he walked to his room, flopped onto his bed, and placed a history book over his face to hide the humongous beam that had taken it over.

**Author's Note:**

> Imagine having a ship this popular but finding zero fanfic for it smh *disappointed shipper noises*  
> I hope ya'll liked this. I might make another one but who knows lol. I'm not usually the kind to ask for comments but I would love to hear what ya'll thought.  
> Aight, imma dip now.
> 
> Update: There's another Weak Hero fic up on my account


End file.
